They formed in 1961 with five girls: Barbara Alston, Mary Thomas, Dolores "Dee Dee" Kenniebrew, Myrna Giraud and Patricia "Patsy" Wright. The group were later joined by Darlene Love for a short time. Dee Dee Kenniebrew still performs in the group, now a trio.

One of their numbers in 1962, by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, was "He Hit Me (and It Felt Like a Kiss)". It was based on their babysitter's account. It was withdrawn after complaints to radio stations over the lyrics.[1]